Advice
RHS Help & Advice
Winter fruit tree pruning
During winter dead, diseased and damaged branches are removed from apples and pears. Additional pruning depends upon the tree form. Plums and cherries are not pruned in winter when a major disease, silver leaf is more prevalent.
Time
Prune mid- to late winter, avoiding frosty spells, while the tree is dormant.
Young apples and pears
Bush: On planting (winter) prune the leader above three or four strong sideshoots. Cut these sideshoots by one-third to a
well-placed bud, removing weaker shoots. Next winter reduce main branches by half and sideshoots to four or five buds. Remove unwanted growth.
Dwarf pyramid: On planting tip the leader and prune laterals to 12.5cm (5in), cutting to a well-placed bud. Next year treat the leader and new laterals as before, pruning sideshoots on one-year-old laterals to three buds.
Cordon and stepovers: On planting prune laterals to three or four buds, leaving the leader un-pruned.
Espaliers: On planting prune the leader to a strong bud. Subsequent winters tip selected laterals and the leader until all arms are formed.
Established apples and pears
Fruiting habit and general pruning: Apples are either spur-bearers or tip-bearers, whereas most pears are spur-bearers. Spur-bearers (fruit borne along branches) require lateral shortening to four to six buds and spur thinning. Tip-bearers (fruit borne on branch tips) require lateral thinning.
Bush and dwarf pyramid: Remove congested growth , ensuring replacement shoots are present . Tip-prune branch leaders to a well-placed bud.
Cordons, espaliers and stepovers: Carry out general spur-thinning. Tip leaders of cordons and stepovers, and arms of espaliers.